MUNCIE, Ind. — It's no secret to anyone that watches or follows Ball State men's basketball regularly that Kyle Mallers and Brachen Hazen are the best of friends. The Fort Wayne natives room together, and they love to make jokes at the other's expense.

So was it pure coincidence that Mallers — who has been struggling lately but scored a career-high 22 points in Saturday's 79-59 win over Western Michigan — found his shooting touch when Hazen returned after missing 15 games? Or was having his buddy back on the floor with him what made the difference?

"Awww! Yeah, it was," Hazen said with a smile after the game. "Actually, that’s exactly why he had a good game."

Maybe Hazen has healing powers.

Mallers answered, "We all like playing with Brachen and he gives us some energy. I was getting excited for him that he was playing well and definitely fed off that. It was fun having him back out there."

"Thanks man," Hazen replied.

All jokes aside — Mallers breaking out of his shooting slump was entirely his doing, not Hazen's — it did make a difference to have Hazen back in the lineup. Hazen hadn't played since Dec. 1 at IUPUI with a back injury. The 6-foot-8 forward scored 11 points on 3 of 6 shooting Saturday.

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The roommates discuss their big days in Ball State's win.
Ryan O'Gara, The Star Press

Hazen said he has been pain-free for the last 3-4 weeks and has been working on strengthening his core. He made a big difference Saturday as Ball State (13-11, 4-7 MAC) was a plus-22 with him on the floor for his 18 minutes, the second-highest plus-minus on the team behind only Austin Nehls, who was a plus-25.

For a team still dealing with injuries — Zach Gunn (ankle) and Ishmael El-Amin (wrist) both sat out Saturday but could return in the next two weeks — Hazen's return couldn't come soon enough.

"Oh, great. Much needed," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "It's a great lift for us. ... He provided us a good lift with the energy he plays with. And he's another guy that can space the floor, which we certainly needed."

Mallers made 6 of his 10 3-point attempts and 7 of 11 shots overall in addition to 10 rebounds. The junior forward had made six 3-pointers total in his last eight games, and he needed 28 attempts to do it. So this was a great sign for a player that is a very good defender but had been lacking in offensive production too often this season. His offensive numbers have dipped across the board from last season to this season as he is down over two points per game, is shooting 8 percent lower from the floor and 3 percent lower from 3-point range.

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Ball State's' Brachen Hazen, center, smiles while coming off the court during the game against Western Michigan at Worthen Arena Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019.(Photo11: Jordan Kartholl / The Star Press)

"Kyle has been going through one of those things that all players go through," Whitford said. "There's no one who doesn't go through it at some point in their career, where the basket feels this big and you can't get one to go. As much as I try to stay, 'Be consumed with your process, it's inevitable,' you can't deny the pressure you start to feel. Each one adds up onto the last one. When the ball finally starts going in, it's a great feeling."

Mallers said it was all about recapturing some of the good feelings he has had earlier this season after he went 2 of 17 from the field and 1 of 11 from 3-point range in the last three games.

"I think after the NIU game, I took some time to look at some previous games and try to lock back in and believe in myself," he said. "And today, I feel like I played pretty well.'

While Ball State certainly wasn't at its best, a win is a win, right? Tayler Persons (15 points, 5 assists, 0 turnovers) and K.J. Walton (11 points) helped Ball State avoid a fifth straight home loss.

The Cardinals had been 0-4 at home in MAC play, and they'll need to rectify that with a stretch of four home games in their next five. Having Hazen back, along with having Mallers' shooting stroke back, will help.